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JAMES W., BARIUM, or New ORLEANS, Louisiana.

Letters Patent No. 76,144, dated .March 31, 1868.'

IMPROVEMENT IN COTTON-BALB TES.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, JAMES W. BARN-UM, ofthe city of New Orleans, parishof Orleans, and State of Louisi ana, have invented a certain new anduset'irl improvement in devices for 'fastening the ends of Wire rope orWire together, when the same is used for banding cotton or other bales;and I do hereby declaro the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, reference being h/a'd to the annexed drawing,making a part of this specification, in 'which- Figure l is aperspective view of the device when detached from a band, and Figure 2atop view of the device as when in use in connection with a band, Theobject of my invention is to provide, in the first place, for taking upthe slacl; of a band yat the time of putting it around a bale; and, inthe second place, to allow of the band being taken oil` the balewithout` cutting, and thus to preserve it for further uso upon anotheror several otherbales.

Myinventionconsists of two sections or halves of a. cylinder, placed asur'licient distance apart te permit of the easy introduction et theends of the Wire rope or wire, as the cese may be, between them, andwhich are held together by two plates at their ends. These plates extendin one direction about an inch and a half, more or less, as is clearlyshown on the drawings, :1nd are each perforated with a small hole,through which la key passes to secure the fastening, when all. the slackhas been taken up.

The halt` cylinders are marked A A', the plates B B', and thekey C.

In the practical application of my device to use, the operation is asfollows, to Wit: The wire rope or wire that is to form a band, afterbeing cut to a proper length and put around the bale, is connected tothe device by simply inserting its ends between the cylinders A A'viureverse or opposite directions, and th'en the device is turned or rolledover, until the slack of thev band is vtaken up, and some degree oftension is brought to bear upon the band. This being done, the key C isinserted, and the fastening is accomplished. On reaching itsdestination, or the place at v'which the bale is to be broken up, thebands are taken off by withdrawing the keys, or by' breaking them,without the slightest injury to the bands.

Having thus described my invention, what claim, and desire to securebyLctters Patent, as a new article of manufacture, is-

'lhe halt` cylinders A A', when placer in relation to each other, asherein described, and secured in position .by the plates B B', when thelatter are perforated so as to receive the key G at one of their ends,as herein described, for the purpose set forth. i

y f JAMES W. IEARNUM.

Witnesses:

A. BARBARIN, RUrUs It. Rlronns.

